Broken Dolls

by Tyrolin Puxty

  I nod in agreement. “He really does. He takes good care of us, doesn’t he?”

  “Definitely. We had a few arguments when I was sick, but that was a tense time for everyone. I now understand what he was trying to do for us… I mean, for me. I sure do love him.”

  I don’t reply, but I make sure to duck when Gabby overthrows the sand bucket over my head. I push it off and poke my tongue out at her, and she dissolves in giddy chuckles.

  As we play, we’re distracted by the sliding door rolling open. Dressed in jeans and a collared shirt, a man stands at the door, tense and nervous.

  “Hey, Dad!” Gabby calls. “Come play with us!”

  Reluctantly, he shoves his hands into his jean pockets and joins us in the sand. He watches me, his jaw clenched and his lips pursed. He’s ridiculously handsome in that brooding sort of way. He looks a lot like the professor–high cheekbones, similar eyes, and sharp nose, with only his thick hair still black and a widow’s peak to set him apart.

  “Hello, Jason.” I offer my tiny hand for him to shake. He doesn’t accept. “It’s lovely to officially meet you.”

  Jason scoffs and builds a doorway for the castle. “Ella, do you know how I chose Gabby’s name?” His tone drips with… disdain? Though, what for? When I shake my head, he continues. “Your full name is Gabriella, and I thought that by naming my daughter Gabrielle, it might help her grandmother bond with her. I hoped it would bring her back to us.”

  I frown. What on earth is he talking about?

  “Dad,” Gabby says. “Stop.”

  “I was wrong, of course. She was too wrapped up in her selfish ways to care about her family. After a while, she didn’t even care that she left me. I was fortunate that the rest of my family loved me enough.” Jason watches me carefully. “They were all I needed. They taught me about morals, decency, and kindness. The best thing I ever took away from them was learning how to forgive. Bitterness and anger consumes you, and I’m tired of punishing myself for her selfishness.”

  My eyes squeak awkwardly when I dart them from Gabby to Jason. Is this about his father’s new lady friend?

  “I forgive her,” Jason says quietly, cracking a very small, but a very certain smile. “To understand all, you must forgive all. I think I understand her, now.” He gently picks me up and kisses my head. “Through all of the heartache and neglect, I understand.”

  He scratches his ear and laughs, before standing and walking back into the house. I bug my eyes at Gabby.

  “What was that about?”

  Gabby clears her throat and shrugs. “Ah, you know. Adults. You’ll probably work it out later. Shall we finish our masterpiece?”

  While we build the remainder of the castle, I think about what Gabby said earlier. I’ve only known the professor for a month, but he is very thoughtful. He redesigned my treasure chest and ensured that I have everything I could possibly want. He sat down and painted a portrait of Gabby and me and taught me about the endangered animals. He takes care of his sister Sianne, who lives in the guest room. She’s a little odd and talks to herself, but he treats her the same way he treats us. He always puts everyone’s needs before his own, even when he’s sad.

  Maybe it’s too soon for me to admit it to myself, much less to Gabby, but a flutter in my chest makes itself known whenever I see the professor. I never feel cold, hungry, sore – I don’t think I can feel anything, except for the warm flicker of hope that lives in my heart for the people who surround me.

  I think they call it love.

  used to like watching the sunsets on the beach. But it’s not fun anymore. How could it be, when Gabby curls her knees to her chest and sobs for half an hour? It’s heartbreaking.

  I wish she could be happy and play with me. She told me that I spent years trapped in an attic until she took me to live with her, but I can’t remember that time. I don’t know what it’s like to not cartwheel in the sand and run from the tide nipping at my ankles. Why wouldn’t anyone be happy with that kind of freedom?

  “Gabby?” I ask, my pointe shoes leaving circular prints in the sand. I rest my hands on her knee, startled by how smooth her shaven legs are. I forget she ages. She was ten when we met, but that was five years ago. Her cheeks are narrower, her hair is shorter, and her voice is maturing. She tries to make me age with her, but I don’t know why. Every March 31st, she wishes me a Happy Birthday and paints my face to look slightly older. She detaches my limbs and replaces them with longer ones, but I’m probably only half an inch taller after four birthdays.

  “Go play, Ella,” Gabby sniffs, wiping away tears. “Make up new choreography.”

  “I don’t feel like dancing today.” I climb into her lap when she stretches out her legs. Just because I’m dressed in a multicolored leotard and tutu, doesn’t mean I always want to dance.

  Gabby doesn’t respond; instead she hiccups and strokes my bun. The seagulls overhead temporarily drown out her sobs, but her chest still heaves with each unsteady breath.

  “Why do you still beat yourself up?” My neck creaks when I look up at her. That’s one annoying thing about being a doll. “It’s been three months. It’s not a big deal.”

  “It’s a huge deal!” she snaps, gulping the later spring air. “I exposed you! I exposed the family secret! If Grandpa found out…” She stares at the waves.

  “The professor won’t find out,” I say unsympathetically, a little tired of reassuring her. “He left us. He left us to be a bigshot scientist. Besides, I don’t care that people know. I can sit on your desk and learn things at school now. I hated being in that cramped bag and peeking through the pockets.”

  “You’re just lucky people think you were a robot. If anyone knew you were human–”

  “—they won’t.” I pat her thumb. “People just think you have the coolest toy in the world that can help with homework.”

  Gabby cracks a small smile and picks up sand, running it through the gaps in her fingers. “It was Devin’s fault, you know. I had no idea she was filming.”

  I shrug. “I went viral on the internet. It’s every teenager’s dream!”

  “But you’re not a teenager…” Gabby mumbles, sweeping her golden hair behind her ear. It’s the same color as the sun’s reflection on the waves. I like it.

  I don’t reply. Gabby’s been particularly snappy lately, so I don’t want to aggravate her further. She sniffs, tracing her fingers in the sand. “Let’s go. Dinner’s almost on.”

  “What are you having?”

  “Whatever the parents decide.” She lifts me onto her shoulder. It makes me feel like a parrot on a pirate. “It’s Wednesday, so probably spaghetti.”

  “Spaghetti looks messy.”

  “That’s half the allure.”

  Gabby trudges through the sand, visibly saddened to leave behind the calming waves. I’m not–after all, there’s always tomorrow.

  She ungracefully shuffles up the cement stairs until we hit the road. The street is empty, and the stores are closed. It’s amazing how quickly the world shuts down.

  “I don’t want to go home.” Gabby kicks a pebble. “Pam and Jason will be at each other’s throats again.”

  “I wish you wouldn’t call them that,” I say quietly, adjusting my hand so it fits in the stump better.

  “It’s the only way to grab their attention lately.”

  “They’re not here now,” I say, “so you don’t need to call them that. They’re your parents; you should treat them as such.”

  “And you’re…” Her eyes flash when she turns to look at me, her frown turning sympathetic. She sighs and shakes her head. “No one’s who they think they are.”

  I don’t know what she means. She may just be depressed. Should I find some pills in the medicine cabinet? One of them is bound to help.

  “Can we walk down Main Street?” I shift uncomfortably when Gabby turns into a dimly lit street.

  “Why?”

  “Because the TV reported six local girls missing last night. I don�
��t want you to be one of them.”

  She pauses at the intersection. She knows I have a point. Her usual shortcut shaves ten minutes off our walk, but it’s not a crowded area. If we take Main Street, there will be lights and people–two things that make darkness less terrifying. Reluctantly, she turns around and continues down Main Street, tucking her hands into her hoodie pockets.

  Riding Gabby is what it must be like to ride a giant elephant or camel. Her strides are unpredictable and bumpy, so I have to hold onto her ear for balance. No one looks at me. The town is used to Gabby having a “robot” on her shoulder.

  “You know, I don’t think you’ve changed much,” I say when we glimpse our reflections in a sparkling storefront.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, you’re taller and lankier, but you still look the same. It must be nice to grow. You know, like, naturally.”

  “It’s not nice at all.” She turns the corner onto a street with only two streetlights. Our street.

  “Why isn’t it nice?”

  Gabby kicks at the gravel, her trainers wearing at the toe. I can tell she’s unsettled by how still the night is. “Being a kid is fun, and I think being an adult could be all right. It’s just this middle stage. People are confused, mean, and dumb. Plus boys are all ugly at this age. Their noses get too big for their face, or something.”

  I giggle, excited that she’s managed to make a joke. Surely, depressed people don’t do that. That’s why the comedians on TV are so funny; they’re too happy to be sad. “Big noses mean you’ll make lots of money. That’s what the psychic told the man on TV.”

  “That’s probably what she said to make him feel better,” she says, covering her mouth when she laughs. I love it when she laughs.

  “I doubt it. TV is always right, haven’t you heard?”

  She stops laughing and comes to an abrupt halt on our lawn, gaping at the front door.

  “Why is our door open?” I ask.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Why are all the lights turned off?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Why aren’t we going in?”

  Gabby swallows. “Because I’m scared of what I’ll find.”

  I climb onto her head to get a better view. She’d barely feel me there. “Want me to investigate?”

  “No.” She takes a moment to breathe. “We go in together.”

  I take hold of her hair like reins, keeping my voice low. “I’m with you.”

  She doesn’t move. If I was watching this on TV, I’d guess the scene was paused.

  “I think I’m stuck in a dream.” Gabby’s voice is tight. “The lawn is miles long, Ella. Nothing makes sense, it’s… it’s all in slow-motion. It’s like I’m a doll again.”

  “It’s your anxiety.” I calmly stroke her braid. I can’t feel how soft it must be, but, at least, she can feel me. “Maybe we should call the police?”

  “No,” she says, inhaling but not exhaling. She crosses the lawn and stands in the doorway, staring into the house. No lights are on.

  “Breathe, Gabby. Breathe for both of us.”

  Gabby nods and steps in, the floorboards creaking beneath her. I always liked how Gabby’s parents kept the traditional feel to the house with polished flooring and high ceilings, but it’s strange without them here. Our home doesn’t feel like home anymore.

  “Stay here,” I say, “I’ll tell you when the coast is clear.”

  I sneak through the hall, poking my head around each corner before entering the next room. I figure it’s best for me to go first–if the intruders are still here, they’re not going to do much harm to a doll.

  No one is in the living room, or the bedrooms. The windows are open, and the curtains float delicately in the breeze.

  If the intruders are still here, they’re masters of disguise.

  “Gabby?” I call. She enters, eyes wide and nostrils flared.

  “Why are the windows open?” She twirls her hoodie’s cords.

  I shrug. “Maybe your parents wanted fresh air?”

  “Their cars are still in the driveway.” Her voice trembles. “Why would they leave everything wide open like this if everything was okay?”

  The house pipes suddenly clank when the dishwasher switches on. Gabby clutches at her heart and utters an obscenity. “Have you checked the kitchen?”

  I shake my head. Gabby pushes past me, the kitchen door swinging when she moves through. I follow suit, unsettled by the number of knives sprawled across the counter. One of the chairs has been knocked over, along with a bowl of fruit.

  I kick at a bruised grape. “Oh no!” I run towards the back door, my eyes clicking with each blink.

  “What?” Gabby asks.

  I don’t respond as I poke my head through the cat-flap and check the backyard for intruders.

  “Jupiter?” I press my plastic lips together to make a kissing sound. “Jupes?”

  When the inky cat doesn’t come, I walk towards Gabby, dragging my feet.

  “The cat’s gone,” I say quietly while Gabby inspects one of the knives.

  “Cats don’t always come when you call them,” she says, but it doesn’t sound like she’s listening. She inspects a banana, which is peeled and squished. “Someone’s taken my parents.”

  “And your cat.” I run back towards the flap to double-check. “Come on, Jupes!”

  “Come on, Ella.” Gabby bends over to pick me up and places me on her head. “We’re leaving.”

  “Where to?” I ask, devastated to leave Jupes behind. I used to hate cats, but I’ve grown somewhat obsessed.

  “Aunt Sianne’s.”

  If I could gulp, I would. “But she’s mental. Can’t we go to your friend’s house?”

  “This is a family matter.” Gabby tears down the hallway like a whirlwind. She goes into her room and pulls out random items of clothing, shoving them into her backpack. “Could you get my toothbrush, please?”

  I don’t hesitate. I jump from her head, the forced landing enough to make my ankles squeak, but not enough to break. I hurry into the bathroom across the hall and climb the sink. I stumble on the drawers and note that the medicine drawer has been ransacked. The only thing left is the aspirin. How odd.

  Her toothbrush is about the same height as me, so it’s awkward to carry it out. When I return, Gabby stares at a photograph of the four of us at the Great Barrier Reef. She’d spent weeks sewing a scuba suit for me, just so I felt included. It was sweet.

  “Are you ready?”

  Gabby flinches when I speak, pulling her gaze away from the photo. “Yeah.” She grabs the toothbrush and picks me up, swifter and rougher than usual. “Did you find anything in there?”

  I pause. “No. The bathroom was just like normal.” I’m not good at lying, but Gabby is too flustered to notice. I don’t know why I didn’t tell her. Didn’t want her to worry, I guess? Her dad is a medical scientist, just like the professor, so the thought of intruders stealing medicine just seems like an unnecessary stress.

  We leave what was once our home, but Gabby doesn’t shut the front door behind us. I guess she’s not ready to close the chapter on her parents just yet.

  I’m a Jack, or more accurately, a Tyrolin of all Trades.

  In my 23 years, I have:

  walked the red carpet for song nominations

  been awarded the Australia Day award in 2014 and 2015

  worked as a qualified paralegal

  appeared in TV Shows

  been hired for product photography

  modelled

  become a Justice of the Peace

  started my own club for school children interested in the arts

  worked for a successful magazine company

  published a book

  hugged a koala

  and had a show ride collapse on my head.

  Now that you have completed this book, we hope you will leave a review so that other readers may benefit from your perspective. Authors like Tyrolin Puxty li
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  Sweet Dreams are Made of Teeth, by Richard Roberts

  (https://curiosityquills.com/kindle/sweet-dreams-teeth/)

  Have you ever had the nightmare of being chased by a beast? Then you’ve met Fang. He’ll be the first to admit that he’s a very simple nightmare. All he knows is hunting your dreams and dragging them into the Dark.

  He’s not ready for his life to get complicated. He’s not ready to be dragged into his best friend’s schemes to make dreams so terrifying they break people. He’s not ready to love, or to be loved, or to meet someone who makes him happy.

  He’s not ready to grow up. When he does, one thing will stay the same: he’ll stay an artist, and he’ll paint your dreams with fear until they’re beautiful.

  Prophet of the Badlands, by Matthew Cox

  (https://curiosityquills.com/kindle/prophet-badlands/)

  For most twelve year olds, being kidnapped is terrifying. For Althea, it’s just Tuesday. Her power to heal the wounded and cleanse the sick makes her a hunted commodity in the Badlands, a place devoid of technology where the strong write laws in blood. For as long as she can remember, they always come, they always take her, and she lets them. Wandering after an escape, she is found by a loving family who helps her find the courage to defend herself. Her newfound resolve is tested by an ancient evil, and a dangerous man bent on exploiting her abilities.

  Alice Takes Back Wonderland, by David Hammons

  (https://curiosityquills.com/kindle/alice/)

  After ten years of being told she can’t tell the difference between real life and a fairy tale, Alice finally stops believing in Wonderland. So when the White Rabbit shows up at her house, Alice thinks she’s going crazy. Only when the White Rabbit kicks her down the rabbit hole does Alice realize that the magical land she visited as a child is real. But all is not well in Wonderland.

  The Ace of Spades has taken over Wonderland and is systematically dismantling all that makes it wonderful. Alice must journey across the stars to unite an army. She discovers that fairy tales are real in the magical world beyond the rabbit hole, and Alice must overcome the trials of these old stories if she wants to unite the lands against Ace. With the help of Peter Pan, Pinocchio, Snow White and heroes old and new, Alice may have the strength to take back Wonderland.